"Really?" Anson snapped. "You really want to test that theory? And what about the solar farms and the mass driver and all your astronomical equipment out on the crater floor? What happens to them?"

Kadar slouched back in his chair like a petulant child. "I want to talk to Stavenger," he said.

"He's too damned busy for picobits like this, Zoltan. I'm the acting director and I say your rocket sits."

With a slight hike of his heavy brows, Kadar got slowly out of his chair and walked to the door.

"Thank you for your time," he said to Anson.

Ben Bova

"Nothing to it."

Kadar stepped through the door and closed it softly, saying to himself, Now where in hell can I find Stavenger?

TOUCHDOWN MINUS 95 HOURS 20 MINUTES

"When do they land?" asked Toshiru Takai.

Doug did not have to look at his watch. "In less than four days."

Takai nodded and made a sound halfway between a sigh and a groan.

Doug was walking with him slowly across the vast floor of the crater Copernicus, where the Nippon One base was situated, more than a thousand kilometers from Moonbase. Since they were communicating through a virtual reality program, they could walk on the lunar surface without space suits. Doug wore his usual unadorned sky-blue coveralls; Takai a similar jumpsuit of pearl gray, decorated with a single white heron over the breast pocket, the symbol of Yamagata Corporation.

"I tried to reach your corporate headquarters in Tokyo," Doug said, "but there seemed to be some difficulty with their receiving equipment."

"I imagine your transmissions are being jammed by the Peacekeepers," Takai said, showing no emotion on his lean, bony face. He was in his early thirties; Doug thought of him as his own age, roughly, even though Takai was at least five years older.

With an understanding smile, Doug said, "Our transmissions are getting through to Savannah and Tarawa and even New York."

Takai gave him a sidelong glance. "Do you want me to tell you that my superiors in Tokyo have decided not to speak with you?" His voice was low, but filled with strength.

"I'd like to know where they stand," Doug said evenly. "Where you stand."

"Why, here I am, in the middle of the most beautiful crater on the Moon!"

Doug laughed at the joke. Although they had never met physically, he had known Takai for three years now, ever since the young enginner had been chosen to direct the Yamagata lunar base. While their virtual selves could walk in the vacuum without even kicking up a cloud of dust, each of them was safely in his office, deep underground.

Yet Doug could reach out and clasp Takai's shoulder. Toshi, I need to know what Yamagata is going to do. It's important for us. For both of us."

"I know," Takai admitted.